1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus, more specifically to a photographing apparatus which includes an imaging unit and is capable of protecting the imaging unit from damage resulting from the shock of a fall, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In photographing apparatuses, particularly mobile photographing apparatuses such as smart phones, etc., one of the technical problems to be solved is how to protect the built-in imaging unit from damage when the apparatus is accidentally dropped (how to absorb the shock of a fall). In a typical shock cushioning structure, the imaging unit is basically sandwiched between cushioning members (shock-absorbing members) and the imaging unit sandwiched between the cushioning members is inserted into a recess formed in the chassis of a mobile photographing apparatus (disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 through 3).
Additionally, to enhance the positional accuracy of the imaging unit in the recess, the technical idea of making the imaging unit abut against aside formed in the recess is known in the art (disclosed in Patent Literature 4).
[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-128525
[Patent Literature 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-128626
[Patent Literature 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent
Publication No. 2013-190772
[Patent Literature 4] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-257784
However, if the imaging unit is sandwiched between cushioning members (or wrapped in cushioning material) and inserted into the recess, there is a possibility of the resiliency of the cushioning members moving the imaging unit within the recess. If this moving direction is, in particular, orthogonal to the optical axis of the imaging unit, a positional deviation occurs between the forefront lens (a lens element nearest to the object) and the opening of the chassis, which becomes a cause of vignetting. In addition, if the imaging unit is made to abut against a side of the recess, the shock cushioning performance varies between the shock applied to the imaging unit from the direction in which any cushioning member exists and the shock applied to the imaging unit from the direction in which no cushioning members exist.